my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific SD24

This ones a little shaky, but EMD did demonstrate 3 lo-nose SD24's on the SP for about 4 weeks during September of 1960. They were painted red and gray with the red wings, but no other lettering or numbering. Any photo that shows numbers is a manipulated image. They may have been intended to occupy the 7200-7202 range but never did.

SP never went with the idea, and they were sold to UP to become their #445 to #447.

If you modeling era encompasses 1960, then these would make a quick and easy project, and something to confuse the 'experts' with, maybe...

Atlas and ConCor both have had the ex Roco built HO Scale SD24, ConCor still may, although it is far from a 'state of the art' molding today. It would require the addition of a lo-nose, perhaps cut the cab and nose from a lo-nose LifeLike GP18 or GP20. Photos show espee light packages both fore and aft. The body would best be set upon a LifeLike SD7 chassis, if you can get just the body shells. A quick coat of red and gray, decal the red wings on the short hood, fit the couplers and your away.

Atlas has announced a new SD24 both in N and HO Scale.

I shouldn't think there have been any SP articles, so I'll list other lo-nose kitbashes.

Model References:

• Mainline Modeler July 1990 page 58 - Plans evidently.
• Railroad Model Craftsman May 1987 page 84. - kitbashing all 3 UP types.

Prototype References:

• 'Southern Pacific Motive Power Annual 1973', page 30, Alan Miller photo taken at East Los Angeles (at UP's diesel shops)
• 'Southern Pacific Historic Diesels, Volume 2, Diesel-Hydraulic Locomotives', page 5, John Shaw photo taken at Taylor Yard (Los Angeles)which also shows the rear light package of the trailing SD24 unit
• 'EMD's SD24', article appearing in Diesel Era magazine, May/June 1999, page 18 features the same Alan Miller photo from the 1973 SP Annual
• 'The GP20 and SD24, EMD's Turbocharged Duo', softcover book from Withers Publishing (the Diesel Era folks), page 12 features the same Alan Miller photo as mentioned above
• 'Southern Pacific Dieselization', page 350 has a re-touched EMD photo of SD24 with "#7200" placed in the front numberboards, but apparently they never operated this way while on the Espee
• Extra 2200 South 1976 Roster Part VI, Issue 59, Jan/Feb/Mar 1977

Additional info this page from Rob Sarberenyi and the Espee List.